Rec center closure kicks off upgrades push in Lafayette

New workout room, bike studio, elevator among fall projects

At the end of each summer, Bob L. Burger Recreation Center in Lafayette closes for a week for routine maintenance. But this year the project list is a little more ambitious.

In addition to draining and cleaning the pools, resurfacing courts and giving everything a fresh coat of paint, the city will begin demolition in preparation for a new elevator and second-floor workout room.

City spokeswoman Debbie Wilmot said the closure, set for Aug. 9-17, will be used to begin those projects in earnest.

"Those areas have been closed off and isolated for a while now, but we'll be using this time to prep for our bigger project, which is putting a second floor above the aerobics room and putting in the elevator. This is the first demolition work we'll have done. That project should be completed by late fall or early winter this year."

The elevator — an effort to reach American's with Disabilities Act compliance — will be tucked between the racquetball courts and the back stairwell on the west end of the center.

"In 2012 a new ADA law came through with requirements that both fitness and aquatics facilities have to be ADA compliant," Lafayette recreation director Curt Cheesman told City Council last month. "Both the rec center and LaMont Does Pool were grandfathered in, being built sometime before 1990. We did an internal audit and found out we are not in compliance in many ways."

The city had three years to achieve ADA compliance, which gives it until 2015 to complete upgrades. The first recreation center amenity the city tackled and completed was the spa area, including the hot tub and sauna.

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The new second floor space will include an area with additional workout equipment as well as a dedicated bike studio.

Other projects planned during the closure include the renovation of both the men's and women's bathrooms off the main lobby, and the addition of a water bottle filling station in the lobby.

Wilmot said one of the biggest maintenance projects the city will complete next week is the recoating of the tongue-and-groove ceiling in the pool area.

"That's a really tough area to get people up to to work on," Wilmot said. "This is really our only chance to take care of it. It's one of those behind-the-scenes things that people probably won't even notice when we open up again."

During the weeklong closure, Lafayette patrons with annual or monthly passes will be given free access to the Louisville Recreation Center, 900 W. Via Appia Way.

Through the partnership between neighboring recreation departments, Louisville Recreation Center passholders will have access to Lafayette's recreation center when the Louisville facility closes for annual maintenance Aug. 20-27.